Van ventilating door



Oct. 15, 1968 LL 3,405,480

VAN VENTILATING DOOR Filed Aug. 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l r j R 'Ql R1 g & ck L a l s M J Q i INVENTOR.

' ROBERT L. HER/FELL A TTOR/VEYS Oct. 15, 1968 R. I HERRELL VAN VENTILATING DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheei Filed Aug.

INVENTOR. ROBERT L. HERRELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,405,480 VAN VENTILATING DOOR Robert L. Herrell, 1709 Frankfort St., San Diego, Calif. 92110 Filed Aug. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 569,195 1 Claim. (Cl. 49-293) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A van having a door opening near the top of the van and a hinged door for the opening. A connecting rod is connected to the door. A handle is connected to the rod for manipulating the latter. A locking pin is biased to hold the handle in locked position, but can be released. The axis of the handle is parallel with the axis of the door hinge.

The present invention relates to a van having a ventilating opening and a door that is adapted to cover the door opening.

The present invention comprises a door hingedly connected to one side of the ventilating opening in the van. A connecting rod is attached to the door at a point spaced from the hinge and a latching element is provided for actuating the rod. The latching element includes means responsive to the door closed position for locking the door into the closed position. A handle is employed to actuate the rod.

Other features and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is the rear view of a van, wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, one door being shown in the closed position and another is shown in the open position;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of another van, wherein another embodiment of this invention is illustrated, one door being shown in the closed position and another shown in the open position;

, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the van shown in FIG. 1, the view being taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1 and showing the door in the closed position in solid lines and showing the door in the open position in broken lines;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the van shown in FIG. 2, the view being taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 2 and depicting the door in the closed position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the van shown in FIG. 2, the view being taken along the lines 55 of FIG. 4 and showing the latching element; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the van shown in FIG. 2, the view being taken along the lines 66 of FIG. 4, showing the door in the open position in solid lines and showing the door in its closed position in broken lines.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, a commercial produce van is shown at 11. It is desirable to have openings near the top for ventilating the interior of the van to prevent spoilage of the produce.

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the mechanism 13 includes a door 15 that is hingedly attached to the lower side of the ventilating opening 17 by a horizontally extending hinge 19. A resilient seal 20 surrounds the door opening 17 and is adapted to be compressably abutted by the door 15 when the door is in the closed position. A flexible connecting rod 21 is pivotally connected to the door at 23. A bracket 25 is included on the door 15 and the connecting rod 21 is connected thereto. The connecting rod 21 isthreaded on the lower end 27. A connecting yoke 29' is screwed onto the rod 21.

A latch 31 is supported by the van and is located such that it is easily accessible by an operator while the operator is standing on the ground. The latch 31 includes a mounting bracket 33, and a handle 35 is pivotally attached to the bracket by a pin 37. The handle 35 includes an arm 39that extends transversely of the pivot 37 and is pivotally connected to the connecting rod 21 at 41. A stop 43 also extends transversely of the handle 35 and is adapted to abut the connecting rod 21 at 45.

The configuration of the latch 31 and length of the connecting rod 21 is such that, as the handle 35 is moved upwardly and the connecting point 41 passes through an are around the handle connecting pin 37, the door 15 is forced into the closed position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. The stop 43 extends a sufficient distance from the handle 35 to permit the door 15 to be fully closed, thus compressing the seal 20 and buckling the rod 21 slightly. The handle 35 is then continued through an additional portion of the arc and the spring action of the rod 21 and force of the resilient seal 20 will act downwardly on the pivot point 41, to urge the handle 35 further into the closed position. Thus, an over the center latching action is provided. When it is desirable to open the door, the handle 35 can be pulled outwardly from the van and downwardly to move the latching mechanism by the over the center position and the door 15 will swing freely open.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the ventilating door 51 is connected to the side of the van door opening 53 by a vertically extending hinge 55. A bracket 57 is mounted on the door 51 and the connecting rod 59 is attached thereto.

A latch 61 is mounted near the bottom of the van 11 and at a height that is easily accessible by the operator while the operator is standing on the ground. The latch 61 includes a support plate 63 and an index plate 65. The index plate 65 includes an index hole 67 for the door closed position and an index hole 69 for the door open position. A handle 71 extends between the support plate 63 and index plate 65 and is pivotally carried on a pin 73.

Upper and lower index pin support plates 75 and 77, respectively, are supported from the connecting rod 59'. The support plates extend inwardly over the index plate 65 and each includes a hole that may be moved into alignment with either of the holes 67 or 69. An index pin 89 is adapted to extend through the holes in the support plates 75 and 77 and into either of the holes 67 or 69. A cotter key 91 extends through the pin 89 just above the support plate 77 and a washer 93, that surrounds the pin '89, is supported by the cotter key. A spring 95 is disposed between the upper support plate 75 and the washer 93, thereby providing means for urging the pin 89 downwardly into the index holes 67 or 69;. A knob 97 is carried on the upper end of the pin 89 to provide means for pulling the pin upwardly out of the holes 67 or '69.

From the above, it will be apparent that when it is desirable to open the door 51, the operator will merely pull up on the knob 97 thereby disengaging the pin 89 from the hole 67 and the latch handle 71 will be free to be pivoted around the pin 73. The handle may then be moved to the full open position at which time the pin 89 will engage the hole 67.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the ventilating doors of this invention provide convenient, economical and effective means whereby van doors for ventilating openings may be opened without necessitating the operators climbing up onto the van to the height of the doors.

While the forms of embodiment herein shown and described, constitute preferred forms, it is to be under- 3 4 stood that other forms may be adopted falling within (b) a pin supported transversely of the conthe scope of the claims that follow. necting rod and adapted to extend into I claim: the hole when said door is in the closed 1. In combination: position; (A) a van having a door opening; 5 (c) means for biasing the pin into the hole; (B) a door adapted to cover the door opening; (2) a handle connected with the rod, said handle (C) means hingedly connecting the door to one side being pivotally mounted on the van with the of the door opening; pivotal axis extending parallelly of the hinge axis. (D) a connecting rod attached to the door at a point spaced from the hinge; 10 References Cited (E) da lal'gchlilnlg ellzlement1 for actuafirilg the connecting UNITED STATES PATENTS ro w ic atc ing cement inc u es: a

(1) means responsive to the closed position of E i 3f 15 22 the door for locking the door into the closed u e a position, said locking means including: 15

(a) a plate Supported from the van and fonm DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Przmary Examiner.

ing a hole; I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

